Fluid handling apparatus



Aug. 30, 1955 w. A. SAUL FLUID HANDLING APPARATUS Filed July 30, 1955 v v r a I d I r r I I I A! INVENTOR wmafiu By ATTOR/Vfy United States Patent' 2,716,5091 v FLUID HANDLING APPARATUS Waldo A. Saul, Lexington, Mass. Application July 30, 1953, Serial 371,287 6 Claims. crane-17s This. invention relates to ;anapparatus for handling fluid materials and more particularly the invention is concerned with a fluid handlingdevice for circulating fluidmaterials, such as coolants and abrasive mixtures employed in many types of machine tool cutting operations and grinding work. i Y

Attempts to provide a satisfactory fluid handling device, especially in the coolant circulating field, have not been successful, in many instancesybecause-rof certain problems which develop.v Thusthe demand for a coolant, for example, often is for relatively small uniformamounts.

being furnished to a work piece,-.andit is found, to be quite difficult to control such small volumes of coolant, particularly in centrifugal typepumps used. Withcerrain other types of available pumps having valves, chips interfere with valve operationq Moreover, where it is desired to circulate or feeda corrosive type liquid, pump;

mechanisms generally develop various problems.

The present invention aimsto deal withthe problems.

indicated and to devise an apparatus forhandlingvarious fluid materials in a satisfactory and efiicient manner suitable for use in coolant operations, applicationof abrasive I and communicating with this passageway is a tubular fit-- mixtures, and various othertreating: liquids whichare;

desired to be dispensed in uniformly small quantities.

Anotherobject of theinvention is to provide a fluid.

handling apparatus which does not depend upon a pumping operation which is, therefore, largely free from wear of standard pump parts and which may introduce a desirable cooling action in thefluid-handled rathenthan generating heat, such as occurs with certain types of pump mechanisms. Still another object is to devise a fluidcirculating apparatus which is capable of dealing with relatively small quantities of fluid and which is not limited by the presence of chipsor other foreign bodies which may be carried along with the fluidrnaterial. Still another, object of the invention is to provide .adcviceof the char-. acter described which includes means for recirculating finely divided solid components of fluid mixtures such, for example, as abrasive materials. H

.These and other objects and novel features will be:

more fully understood and appreciated-from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention member employed in of a modified form of fluid container which may be em-' ployed in the apparatus of the invention;

The fluid handling apparatus ofthe invention is, in general, based upon the novel conceptof a two-stage operation. In the first stage, a fluid whichis desired to be handled is mixed with astreamnof compressed gas to form a suspension type mixture. and then carried .toa

2,716,509 Patented Aug. 30, 1955 dispensing station. In the second stage a desired component is separated from the mixture and then dispensed from an elevated point of release.

In describing the preferred embodiment of fluid handling apparatus shown in the drawings, one particular type of fluid material may, for purposes of convenience, be considered such as a coolant of the type employed in cooling machine tools during the cutting of a work piece.

It should be understood, however, that the invention is a not intended to be limited to the handling of a coolant only, but may be employed for handling various other fluids and mixtures of fluids, as will be hereinafter noted.

The principal parts of the apparatus shown in the drawings include a fluid container; a dispensing head mounted in some desired relative position with respect to the fluid container; and a mechanism for producing a flow of fluid material from the container through the'dispensing head. 7

Referring more in detail to Fig. 1 of-the drawings, numeral 10 denotes a fluid container provided with a drain pipe 12 and a shut-off valve.14, as shown. The container may be supported in some convenient manneras, for example, by means of a base 16 consisting of a block of metalor other suitable material at the under side of which are formed feet 18 and 20. The base 16 is formed with a passageway 22 transversely disposed therethrough ting '24 which is adapted to be, connected to a source of compressed air (not shown) as it forms no part of the: present. invention.- The tubular member 24 is preferably,

of desired shape, as shown, and extends upwardly to a point above the level at which liquid is held inthe con-'- tainer 10, and thus prevents escape of liquid. 4

Als o located in the base 16 at the other end of the passageway 22 is a threaded relief valve 26 having a spring-held ball 28, as suggested in Fig. 1*. Connected into a central section of the passageway 22 is a suction device. which includes an inner suction element 30 and an outer tubular body 32 located in spaced relation around the upper end of the'suction element 30, as noted in Fig. 1. The base 16 is preferably formed with a threaded bore in .which is threaded an enlarged threaded bottom portion 34 of: the tubular body 32. The suction element 30 is,

formed with a shouldered portion 36 which is engaged against the threaded bottom portion 34, as shown, and thus solidly held in place. Similarly, the tubular body 32 is formed with a flange 38 which overlies immediately adjacent portions of the container 10 to solidly secure;

the container against the base 16.

Thelsuction'element 30 is formed with a tapered bore of; the Venturi type, well known to the art, and located through the side walls of the suction element 30 at approximately the point of greatest constriction in the tapered bore are openings 40 through which fluid mate rial can be drawn into the suction element. Similarly,

the tubular body 32 is formed with openings 42 which 0:. provide a passageway for fluid material in the container 10 to pass into'the space between the tubular body and? the suction element 30.

When compressed airis delivered through the member:

24 and passes through the Venturi type opening of suction element 30, fluid material is drawn into the suction element and becomes mixed with the compressed gas and moves upwardly in the direction indicated by the. arrows, To further guide this gaseous mixture there is provided a tubular conduit 44 which is fitted into an portion of the tubular body 32, as shown enlarged socket in the body 31.

Mounted at the upper end of the tubular conduit 44 is the dispensing head of-the invention which includes a icasing 46 having a neck portionl48 snugly, received.

in a collar 50 which .is secured around anrintermediate portion of the tubular conduit 44. .The neck,.po1'tion 48 is of a substantially smaller diameter than that of the immediately overlying portions of the casing 46 and this constitutes a fluid reservoir in which fluid materialmay collect.

Communicating with this fluid reservoir in an outlet member 52 which is further provided with a valve 54 and a dispensing tip 56.

above the container so that fluid material leaving the dispensing tip will be directed downwardly into thev container.

ment 58, also shown in Fig. 2. This member includes an inner retaining ring portion 60 which is of a diameter so chosen that it will fit snugly about the upper end of the tubular conduit 44 in shouldered relationship therewith, and supported at spaced-apart intervals around this inner retaining ring 60 are radial arms 62, 64 and 66 which, in turn, support an outer retaining ring portion 68, as suggested in Fig. 1. The deflector element 58 is formed with an annular shouldered edge which overlies, and is supported by, the outer retaining ring section 68 and may conveniently be held thereagainst by annular projections 70 formed at the under side of a retaining cap 72. The deflector element may, I find,

It will also be seen that this release point occupied by the dispensing tip 56 may be located at It is pointed out that the outlet member and the dispensing tip 56 occur at a point i be formed with concaved surfaces, as 74, against which the mixture of fluid and gas can be directed after leaving the tubular conduit, and the concaved surfaces tend to guide the mixture downwardly around the tubular conduit 44, as suggested by the arrows. As the guided mixture offluid and gas is passed downwardly it moves into an annular screening chamber 76 which is com-' prised by the tubular conduit 44 and a spaced cylin drical screen element 78 supported around the outer retaining ring portion 68. I further find that in this annular screening chamber the gaseous'component of the mixture can be readily forced outwardly through the screen member 78 while the fluid component continues in a downward direction and collects in the reservoir comprised by the neck portion 48. The gaseous component passing through the screen member 78 moves upwardly through the space occurring between the screen 78 and the casing 46 and eventually is allowed to pass out through a porous top section 80 of the cap 72.

There is thus achieved a rapid and highly efiicient means of circulating a coolant body from the container 10 to a dispensing head and then out of the dispensing tip on to a work piece, and finally back to the container. It is pointed out that thecontainer and base 16 may be conveniently located on a bench or clamped at one side of a machine tool, such as a lathe, or supported in various other ways, and the elevated arrangement of the dispensing head, together with the extended conduit portion of the dispensing tip, provides for directing fluid to be dispensed from any one of a widerange of positions of adjustment.-

In operation a very important feature of the apparatus is the fine control which can be exercised in regulating the rate of flow of material leaving the dispensing tip. It is found that a Wide range of feeding rates may be resorted to, and especially very small amounts may. be dispensed by regulating the volume of compressed air which is allowed to pass through the'Venturiaperture. Itwill be observed that at any of these desired feedingrates, and particularly where very small quan+ tities of coolant arebeing furnished, there is little, if; any, chance for interference with the operating-mechanism regardlessof whether. the. fluid is entirely composed of liquid material, or whether .it contains abrasive particles or other solids.

However, in the case of dispensing an abrasive mixture I may desire to employ a modified form of container for receiving the abrasive fluid. Thus in Fig. 4 I have illustrated a container; member which is constructed with downwardly converging sides. By means of this arrangement a compressed gas is forced through the suction element 92.,and abrasive particleswhich are forced to collect in close proximity to the bottom of the tubular:conduit..94 may be/readily. drawn into the openings 96 and ,asatisfactory circulation of abrasive particles is thus assured at all times during the operation of the device. a suction element 92 constructed with a cylindrical bore 98 and such a suction element may be used in place of the Venturi'type member.-shown-inFigr-.1 inhandling some types of fluid material;

It will be apparentthat thercombinationof a-suction circulating device with'a screeuingchamberis very satis-u factory for dealing-with a fluid mixture which may in-' clude one or more components of a corrosive nature. Also, it will readily beappreciated that the fluid mixture may well-comprise various-gases,-any one, or. all, of which may be introducedin-a-compressed state and the dispensing head may,-'in-general, be used for bringing together andcombining 'materialsof-varying types. All outstanding-advantage=-of-the apparatus-described is its simplified construction-and particularly a construction which inv01ves-no moving parts to clog-or get out of. order. Another=advantage is the' ease and simplicity of I Tlie entire structure can, when handling {of thedevice. desired, =bereasily= handled;- the fluid material may-be emptied out-bytipping' the contaiueryor, if desired, the coolant-or other'fluid may bequickly drawn oil? through the -drain--to=faci1i tate changingfrom-one type-of fluid toanother.- i

WhiIe-I'have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that various other changes andmodifications -may be resorted to in keeping withthe*spirit=of:theinvention-as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described-my invention, what I desire to claim as ';new 1 is:

1. Anapparatus of the class described comprising a' fluid container, 2. fluid dispensing head mounted inspaced relation above the container; said fluid dispensing head being formed with a fluid reservoir having a dispensing outlet, means for pro'ducinga flow of fluidmate'rial from the container through the dispensing head, said means including abase member mounted at the underside of the said'fluid' containe'r," a tubular body supported and extending-upwardly into the fluid container element; a suction member received in thetubular body and having openings formed therein for permitting passage of a fluid from the said container element into the suction member, and said base member havingconduit means therein for conducting agstream of. compressed gas through the suction element;

2. An apparatus ofthe class described comprising a fluid container, a fluid dispensing head mounted inspaced relation .above .the container and. connected-thereto, said fluid dispensing head being formed with a fluid reservoir having. a dispensingoutlet,means for producing a flow of fluid material from the container through the dispensing;

head, said meanstincluding a base-member located at the underside of the: fluid-tcontainer a. tubular member received in the basewandprojecting .upwardly through the fluidcontainena suction element receivedin said tubular There has also been shown in Fig. 4

vertically disposed in the said tubular member and communicating With the said dispensing head.

3. A fluid handling mechanism comprising a fluid container, a dispensing head mounted on the tubular conduit in spaced relation above the fluid container, a suction device for circulating a mixture of gas and fluid material from the container through the tubular conduit and the dispensing head, means in the dispensing head for separating the fluid material from the gas component of the mixture, means for selectively releasing relatively small quantities of fluid at a point above the container, the said dispensing head including a casing mounted in spaced relation around the said tubular conduit, a deflector element constructed and arranged to deflect material leaving the tubular conduit, screen means interposed in the path of travel of deflected material for separating compressed gas from fluid material, and means consisting of a porous cap for releasing compressed gas.

4. A fluid handling mechanism comprising a fluid container, a dispensing head mounted on the tubular conduit in spaced relation above the fluid container, a suction device for circulating a mixture of gas and fluid material from the container through the tubular conduit and the dispensing head, means in the dispensing head for separating the fluid material from the gas component of the mixture, means for selectively releasing relatively small quantities of fluid at a point above the container, the said dispensing head including a casing mounted in spaced relation around the said tubular conduit, a deflector element constructed and arranged to deflect material leaving the tubular conduit, screen means interposed in the path of travel of deflected material for separating compressed gas from fluid material, means consisting of a porous cap for releasing compressed gas, and said cap tor presenting a shouldered retaining ring portion adaptedto engage over said tubular conduit, an outer ring porbeing formed with a retaining ring portion for holding 35 the said deflector element against the tubular conduit.

5. A fluid handling mechanism comprising a fluid container, a dispensing head mounted on the tubular contion, radial connector elements secured between the said retaining ring and outer ring portions, and a recessed deflector cap supported on the said outer ring portion.

6. A fluid handling mechanism comprising a fluid container, a dispensing head mounted on the tubular conduit in spaced relation above the fluid container, a suction device for circulating a mixture of gas and fluid material from the container through the tubular conduit and the dispensing head, means in the dispensing head for separating the fluid material from the gas component of the mixture, means for selectively releasing relatively small quantities of fluid at a point above the container, said separating means including a fluid deflector, said deflector presenting a shouldered retaining ring adapted to engage over said tubular conduit, connector elements secured to said shouldered retaining ring portion, an outer ring body supported on the connector elements, a recessed deflector cap mounted on said outer ring and a screen member received about said outer ring body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 988,177 Diebold Mar. 28, 1911 1 1,214,951 Pruitt Feb. 6,1917 1,374,020 McGehee Apr. 5, 1921 

